Has Anyone Ever Used a Cooler?

[snoopy65]

I have an old cooler that has lost it's lid. I measured the inside of it and it is about 18 gal. Is it feasible to use it as a deck pond? I realize that goldfish are out of the question except maybe a single fancy of some sort, but I thought I might give it a go. Is there any reason not to use a cooler? I have no experience with ponds or coldwater fish. I am just mulling it around in my head for now. I was thinking of using a sponge filter, pump, and airstone. Maybe make it look like a fountain of some sort. I have plenty of plants that I could add to help with filtration. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

[Jennie Beth]

So long as the drain plug at the bottom will seal, I can't think of any reason you couldn't use it. It is food grade plastic, I'd imagine, as you can store food in it, so there shouldn't be anything that'd leach into the water. And if you have some filtration and aeration, you should be good to go. There are some very pretty tiny waterlilies that would work even in a little tub if it gets enough sunshine, and your fish(ies) will keep the mosquitoes away.

People make ponds in whiskey barrels, and they aren't much bigger...
go for it!
Jen

[snoopy65]

Yeah, I have a spreading waterlilly in one of my tanks that I can propagate as well as water lettuce, guppy grass, anacharis, etc.

[snoopy65]

Anyone have ideas about what livestock to put in it?

[dixienut]

i used the same filter set up in my horse trough for the commets,.. works well,.. except for the horse that keeps biting the darn line ,..lol

[snoopy65]

lmao....that would be a problem.

[dixienut]

she just does that to get me to come out and play,..lol she's a card,..lol
gotta watch here when filling the water tub she grabs the hose and tries to squirt you,.. learned that from me asi do it to her,..lol

[Lupin]

Coolers are fine but like you realized, the stock is the limit. How about snails and then some celestial pearl danios?

[dixienut]

cpd, really like tons of plants, they would be very nervous without substrate and plants,.. now endlers are perfect they would be begging all the time for attention and having a ball,.. so would white clouds,..

[snoopy65]

I have gravel I can put in the bottom and add plants. Would the colors of the CPD show up in a little pond with no lighting.

[dixienut]

i doubt you would even see them, they hide when you come arounf,.. not like endlers,.. they come to greet you,.. i'm not sure cpd can go with a heater,. tho mine are in a 72degree tank but night can get really cold especially where you live,. but endlers and white clouds are non heater fish,..

cpd stay at the bottom, of the tank,.. gravel level,.. all i can say is you could try,.. but they really are expencive to try, and then,.. loose them

[7itanium]

Never used one as a pond... but I use them to transport my larger fish all the time

[snoopy65]

Thanks for the info dixie. I probably will go with endlers for now as I already have some. Test it out and see how it goes. I may look into some white clouds. I don't really know much about them.

[snoopy65]

Never used one as a pond... but I use them to transport my larger fish all the time


I have used them to transport as well. I was thinking with the extra insulation of a cooler, the water might stay more consistant than it otherwise would in an unheated above ground "pond".

[DoN_WoN]

omg this is awsome post pics!!!

[snoopy65]

I think I am going to start the prep work with the cooler tomorrow. I will start a new thread in DIY and post progress.

[thesixis]

I have a couple of 20 gal 'ponds' that I put my guppies in for the summer. I float some water sprite and by the end of summer I give fish to everybody...
Good luck.

[snoopy65]

Thanks, hopefully mine turns out well.